Rally!
by a tiny cyborg
Summary: KevEdd. When Kevin begins to bully Edd to the point where he no longer wants to even stay in school, knight-in-shining armor Nazz decides to it's time for the two of them to team up to figure out what's wrong with him. Rated M for language, abuse, and later, smut.
1. (Beginning!)

**WARNING  
**this series contains a lot of bullying, some physical abuse, and some mental abuse.  
please read with caution because i like you guys too much to let you get hurt! \o/

* * *

Ah, highschool. The amazing time of your life where literally all the decisions you make will haunt everything you do for the rest of your life. Fail one class? Good luck getting into college! Miss too many days of school? So long, acceptance letters! A time of determining with absolute certainty what you'd like to do for the rest of your life! All of these life changing decisions, all without the ability to even legally drink away your sorrows!  
Ah, highschool. Joys!

Well, for some, it really was. However, on this clear, wonderful, and absolutely perfect autumn afternoon, it was not a joyous day for a sock headed freshman.

Eddward doubled himself up as he fell to the ground. A group laughed, watching the black haired boy fall down. A girl shrieked and he could just barely hear, "Kevin, what the fuck?!" over the pain. His head spun and his eyes hurt to open. He had felt a hand, then the metal locker, and then he fell. What had happened?

Right. A punch. A punch directly into the back of his head that had caused him to slam his face into his open locker. Edd was lucky that the locker had been open and he knew it. He could feel lines on his face burning where there would be bruises from the back of the opening slants in his locker. If he had been punched into those...

Edd shuddered a bit. The pain in his head cleared, his eyes adjusting again. He was intelligent enough to know that it was an adrenaline rush from the pain, but thank god for it. He shoved himself up, but pulled himself back down as soon as he felt hands on his arms. Someone was grabbing him, trying to pull him up.

"Leave me alone!"  
"Dude, chill. It's just me. Nazz," a female voice whispered. Edd turned to look up, his stomach settling for just a moment. It was just the blonde. The football team must have left. "Are you okay, man?"  
"Yes, I think I'll be just fine. I may have some very severe bruising. If you don't mind, could you please escort me to the nurses. I'll be sure to ask for an excuse for your tardiness."  
"I... What?" Nazz pulled him up. "Double D, I'm not worried about my... tardiness. Are you all right? I don't know why Kevin didn't stop those guys..."  
"Who were they? I'll need to know to report them."  
"The football team... That's going to make it worse, man," Nazz mumbled. She pulled Edd against her, supporting the much taller as they walked to the nurse's office.  
"That doesn't matter. They need to be stopped."

* * *

It had been months since Edd's first run in with the football team. In that time, he'd managed to get beaten on a daily basis, shoved into lockers, tripped, called names, and mocked. The joy he used to feel at school had been sucked out of him. In fact, most of his joy for life had been sucked out of him, as Nazz told him sometimes.

Yes, Nazz. She had been his knight in shining armor on more than one occasion. No-one dared to mess with him while she was around. It was high school politics, but Edd felt grateful towards her. They had become close friends when she dumped Kevin as even an acquaintance. He felt bad, but she had reassured him that it wasn't a problem. Why would she want to be friends with someone that mean?

This, however, had caused problems. In retaliation to losing his girlfriend, best friend, and what he liked to call 'his soulmate', the red headed, walking temper tantrum had made it his purpose in life to make Double D miserable. At every chance he'd get, he'd call him names, attack him, shove him. It was hard, but Edd made do. After all, he was glad to have someone like Nazz around, considering Eddy and Ed were too busy with their own after school projects to spend a lot of time with him now.

"Hey, man!"  
Edd turned, smiling brightly at his friend. Seeing that bright smile radiating off of Nazz's pretty face. She was always a rock for him to lean on. He was happy every time she was around.  
"Salutations, Nazz. How was your cheerleading practice yesterday? I heard you did a particularly difficult move."  
"Yeah, dude! I finally did it! We ended up studying late so I didn't get to do my math homework... Do you think I could copy?" A sheepish smile fell over Nazz's face. Normally, she hated asking for homework because it came with a lecture. Becoming friends with Double D really had it's perks, though. She found herself doing better in all her classes already and was able to help the girls on the team figure out how to do more confusing moves in a simpler way. Edd may have been a dork, but she was glad to be his friend.  
"You know, Nazz, I cannot simply let you copy all of my homework. You must learn to manage your time better. I could help you come up with a time table, you know. Or, perhaps, we can simply have a study date!"  
Nazz's eyes widened. A date? With Double D? Had she heard that right? "A... a date?"  
"No! Not that kind of date! No!" Edd had lost all control over the English language. He hadn't meant it like that! "I didn't mean! I mean, I like you, Nazz, but! Oh, lord!" He pulled his hat over his face, dropping the math paper he was holding. He could feel his face burn with embarrassment.

"Hey, guys! Check it! The little fag asked out Nazz!" A familiar voice rang out through the halls. Everything stopped. Slowly, Edd pulled up his hat, looking around. All eyes were on them.  
Kevin laughed, shoving Edd's shoulder. The contact made the skinny boy jump, startled and terrified. A deer in the headlights look took over his face as he attempted to make a full sentence.  
"I didn't mean it... I didn't ask... I don't think Nazz-"  
"Yeah, you're right, Nazz would never date a loser like you!"  
"Kevin, shut the fuck up!" The tiny blonde haired girl took a swift kick at the football players shins. It connected, causing the red head to bend over with a yell. "I would date him, man! Actually, you know what? Fuck you guys, I'm totally going to date him!"

And that was how everything in Eddward Marion's life changed and our story really begins.


	2. (One!)

_this story contains instances of bullying, abuse, and possibly triggering slurs.  
please read carefully! \o/_  
_this chapter moves quite quickly and i hope that's okay! please leave some critiques and opinions on the story for me to enjoy~~_

* * *

"Nazz, please. I do not require all of this attention from you."  
"Dude, they hit you in the head with a bat. You've got like, residual head damage. Just let me help you."  
"Nazz! Please cease this behavior immediately!"  
The blonde haired girl huffed, letting go of her boyfriend's shirt. Edd groaned, turning his neck to face her. Lately, it was such a chore to do anything. Well, before lately, he hadn't been hit in the head with a bat 'on accident' during PE, but still. Minor inconveniences, right?

"Nazz?"  
"Yes?"  
"Might I inquire why you're at my house and not in school?"  
Nazz giggled, placing a hand over her face. It was a habit she had picked up from Edd, both of them finding it quite endearing. "I told you! They hit you in the head with a bat, dude. It's like, my girlfriendly duties to help you heal!" She leaned forward, placing a kiss on his forehead.

It had been almost a year since they had begun to date. Neither actually expected the relationship to last, in all honesty. But after a month or so, they both realized that the comfort in the relationship was really too much to pass. It wasn't anything special, or anything meant to really last, and they both knew this... But it was nice. No pressure on either side. Even better for Edd, the daily beatings on him had stopped. There were the ones that were slipped by, like shoving him into a locker or 'accidentally' hitting him with a flying baseball bat, but still. It was nice to not fear for his life every second of school.

Kevin was now the only one to harass him as much. Everyone knew it was because he was upset by his loss of Nazz and his bitterness at the fact that it was 'Double Dork' that she was dating, but it didn't really help anything in the long run. It never made anything better for Edd to know that his girlfriend was the reason that he was getting harassed by someone who had once been a childhood friend.

"Nazz, I do request that you leave immediately and go to school. I can handle being on my own for the day. Mother and father left a sufficient amount of supplies upstairs. They've temporarily turned the guest bedroom into a small kitchen for me to use so I don't have to struggle to go downstairs."  
"Double D... I'm not leaving you. Deal with it, dude."

Edd scowled, watching as Nazz blew on his soup. He had come to terms, for the most part, with the fact that he was going to receive germs from her whether he wanted to or not. It was uncomfortable and he typically protested, but today could be an exception. However, the cheerleader realized what she was doing, turned red, and dumped the spoonful onto a napkin.  
"Sorry. I forgot your inversion to germs."  
"Aversion, Nazz. Aversion."  
Nazz giggled again, and held out another spoonful of soup. Edd blew lightly on it, before setting his mouth around it.

"Hey, Double D, I have a question. And like, don't be mad that I'm asking this, okay?"  
He looked up at her, a smile on his face. "Nazz, I'm hardly ever angered by your inquiries. A great mind must ask questions, after all!"  
"No, like, this isn't a smart question. It's a you and me question. Can I still ask it?"  
"Why, of course, Nazz." Edd smiled, placing a hand on Nazz's.  
"So like, why don't we ever do anything?"  
A surprised look placed itself on Edd's face. He squeezed her hand, brows furrowing. "What do you mean, 'ever do anything'? Nazz, I have taken you on what you determined to be a sufficient amount of dates so far. I accompany you to all parties after football games, even if it risks my health. I also spend time with you after practice each day. We even spend time together on weekends that I don't occupy myself with studying. I thought we deemed this to be... agreeable?"

Nazz laughed, pulling her hand from Edd's. "Agreeable? Our relationship is great. I love spending time with you and you're always up for helping to tutor me AND my friends. You're great, and I really enjoy spending time with you, but like... We don't... do anything..." A flush formed on her face as she slowly said the last words, "like, sexual."

It was Edd's turn to blush. "I, well, I... Nazz, I find you to be a very attractive girl but... I'm simply not interested in sex or anything sexual. I understand that as a teenager, you should be exploring yourself sexually because this is the point where our sexual growth is-" He cut himself short. He couldn't really find the words or a reason why he didn't find Nazz attractive like that. Yes, she was a gorgeous cheerleader. Thin, blonde, with a very symmetrical face meant that Edd should have found her attractive. But, he didn't. He had always just found her... pretty. "Nazz, I fear that I am not sexually attracted to you," he admitted. He stared down at the sheets, waiting for the anger that would come from her. Girls, he had found, liked to be told they were pretty and attractive. A boyfriend saying he wasn't sexually attracted to his girlfriend, especially a prize such as Nazz, would be difficult and anger her.

The strangest feeling overtook Nazz. It wasn't anger, or even sadness, just... the feeling of a weight being lifted. It was like someone had taken a bag of bricks off of her. She placed the soup bowl on the night stand next to the bed and leaned forward, hugging Edd. She placed her head carefully on his chest, enjoying the comfort of that moment. "It's like, really weird," she whispered. "I'm pretty much okay with that. If it was anyone other than you, dude, I think I'd be really mad. But that kind of feels okay."

"Why do you think that is, Nazz?"

"Well, dude, maybe you're gay. I'm pretty hot after all."

Gay? Gay. ...Gay? The silence filled the room like a suffocating pillow. It weighed down suddenly on Edd. He shifted uncomfortably, adjusting Nazz's head. Discomfort was a common feeling for him lately. Something about this discomfort was different, though. It didn't start in his neck, it started in his stomach. He could feel himself shake slightly, nausea coming over him. "Gay? I-I had meant why do you think it feels okay, not why I'm not attracted to you..." He shifted again, hoping to move her away.

More silence filled the room and the question hung in the air. Nazz moved herself from his chest, staring at his face intently. A look of sudden realization spread across her face. "Wait, am I dating a gay dude? Weird!" she laughed, her voice filling the room. The laugh broke the awkwardness, but the weight on Edd still stood there.

"H-honestly, I've never given it any thought," he mumbled. Normally, everything in Edd's life was proven with facts and understood completely. He rationalized all emotions, everything that happened to him, and he was literal when it came to his feelings. He never lied to anyone about how he felt about them, including Nazz, but he had always thought their relationship was comfortable because he cared for her. Not because... Well, maybe because it was really just a friendship with the wrong label. God, he hated things being labeled incorrectly.

"Do you think I perhaps am gay?"  
"Do you really think I can answer that for you, D?" Nazz ruffled his hair, a hand reaching under the sock hat. "I can't like, read your mind. I'm not telekinetic."  
"Telepathic, Nazz," he corrected with a somewhat absent stare at her. "I can't be gay, Nazz. I mean, I'm dating you."  
"You know that's stupid. That's not how it works. Maybe that's why we've... well, you know."  
"Perhaps that's why our relationship has been comfortable instead of interesting? We've been going about this all wrong! Oh, how horrible! I feel like a terrible person. I've been keeping you from more interesting relationships! I've been keeping you from doing everything a teenaged girl should be doing!"  
"Edd, dude," she cooed. "It's cool. I'm not angry with you. I'm kind of upset because like, I love you and shit, but come on. It's okay. We both knew this relationship wasn't, like, permanent. We're not made for each other. I care about you but we both knew it was kind of just a thing, you know? I'm not going to look at you differently. But I think we'll have to break u-"

The door that had been previously left slightly open was now shut. The bang of the door closing startled Edd, who pulled his sheets closer to him, but didn't even phase Nazz. She was up in a moment, running from the room. "Stay up there!" she yelled, footsteps pounding down the steps. "Who the fuck is there?! I'm going to kill you, dude!"

It took what felt like hours for her to get back. Edd knew it was only a minute, but as she stood in the doorway, he'd never been happier to see her. His face lit up, comforted by the fact that she hadn't been hurt. "What was it? I know it couldn't have been the wind. After all, there's no currents strong enough to blow a door closed in here. I have to imagine that it was Eddy trying to play a trick on me. Oh, lord, that means he's been listening to us converse.

"I," Nazz stopped. She shifted weight from one foot to another, staring at the ground. "Edd, it was Kevin. He... He must've snuck in, dude. But I locked the door, I swear! I-I, I think he got the spare key... He heard you telling me you were gay. He's going to... you know... Edd, I'm sorry." She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She could hear his breath stop completely. She could feel how tense he was from the other side of his room. The adjusting of the sheets, she knew he'd be gripping them so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Nazz moved forward as a soft sob suddenly erupted from his throat. "I-I didn't even say I was gay, Nazz..."

"I'm so sorry, Edd..."

"My... My life is over."


	3. (Two!)

_as usual, warning!_  
_this story contains instances of violence, abuse, and slurs._  
_please read with caution, because i still like all of you! \o/_  
_people have been asking me this quite a bit: YES, this is a kevedd story. nazz is not edd's love interest and won't be again._  
_'wait but kevin is a huge dick'_  
_yes. and that's how i'm forcing you to continue reading this story. why the hell would edd get together with kevin?_  
_well, you'll just have to read to find out!_

* * *

What are you supposed to do when you find out that your bully has the keys to your house? What sort of actions do you take? Reasonable people would go to the police. Edd was exactly that sort of reasonable person.  
"What do you mean you can't do anything?! Do you not understand this situation?! The person that has been tormenting me for years has a key to my house! My parents won't change the locks unless you charge him with something!"  
The cop stared down at Edd, a bored look plastered to his face. "Look kid. I told you: I can't do nothing. There's no evidence it was him, and he's got alibis. Sorry, kid. Maybe you should try your parents." The disinterested cop turned back to his paperwork, pen raised.  
Scratch that. Edd WAS a reasonable person. His reason left him as soon as the cop turned his eyes away from him.  
"Do you even listen when you're spoken to?!"  
"Excuse me?"  
"Obviously not! Sir, I cannot stress enough that my parents refuse to change the locks in our home unless YOU tell them to."  
"Well that's too bad, kid. Now leave."  
Blood was boiling under the surface of his skin. He could practically feel his internal organs begin to melt. How could someone that was supposed to serve justice simply ignore his pleas for help?!  
"You know, sir, perhaps if you didn't think that it was okay to be a bully and a jerk, you'd find this situation most undesirable for me." As soon as the words came out, he knew he shouldn't have said anything. It was too late now. Edd turned with a huff and stormed out of the building.

* * *

"Nazz, I do fear that I am in trouble. My situation requires the utmost care, and no-one will take me seriously. I can't spend another week at your house. It would be incredibly rude. However, you'd think those that care about our criminal justice system would take an interest in my case. After all, it would be high profile for our small town."  
"That's the problem, dude." Nazz pulled the towel off her hair, rubbing furiously. "Kevin's like, a football star. You can't touch him without going through a ton of hoops."  
"You should pat your hair. That would keep your hair from being damaged as much," Edd grabbed another carrot from the plate. He idly scanned her room, noting how different it was from when they were kids. The bright colors had been replaced with neutral tones, the canopy bed being changed for a California king size. He had asked her once why she required such a large bed, and she had mentioned having friends over so often that it was just easier. Small things from her childhood still stood around, though, like the large portrait of a horse.  
"It's weird that you know so much about hair and stuff, but like, you don't ever do anything."  
"Nazz, I do believe we have a bigger problem on our hands," Edd reminded her. He scowled as she stuck her tongue out at him. She had agreed to let him stay for a while, her mom being okay with it because she had already heard the story of Edd coming out. He sighed, turning to stare at the wall. His neck throbbed slightly, discomfort settling into him again. "How long do you think your mother will agree to let me take residence here? I don't want to be a burden to her."  
"Dude, you're like, paying for your own stuff. I don't think she really cares. Plus, she feels really bad. She like, loves you and stuff. She just wants you to be safe. It's not like anyone can get into our house, you know?"  
"I'm unsure as to why you asked me if I know."  
"You're so lateral sometimes."  
"Literal, Nazz," he mumbled. "What do you think I should do about all of this?" Worry filled Edd's voice. It wasn't often that he didn't know how to solve a situation. It was terrifying, not knowing what to do about any of this.  
"Dude, I think you need to confront Kevin. Like, tell him to back the fuck off. Beat him up!"  
"I cannot physically harm someone. I don't think that violence is the answer to this predicament. Perhaps if he becomes violent with me, but he's yet to do so."  
"Hitting you in the head with a bat wasn't violent, dude?"  
Edd rubbed his neck. "I suppose so... I think I'll go home for the night, Nazz. I find it somewhat uncomfortable to be stuck in a house with no labels. They help me to sleep better at night." He rose from the bed, holding out a hand for Nazz. She pushed it aside, hugging him with all her strength. He could feel her tense worry. She didn't let go for what seemed to be a long while.  
"I know I can't convince you to stay at my house anymore but, dude, be careful. Oh! Here," she pulled out a small bottle from a drawer. In big, clear letters, PINK PANTHER MACE was written across it. Edd took the bottle, smiling.  
"Nazz, you certainly always know how to help me out. I do thank you for being such a supportive and wonderful friend for me."  
"No problem, man. Just be careful, okay?"

* * *

Careful was perhaps an understatement for how Edd was treating the night. Armed with two bats, a knife, and the can of mace Nazz had donated to him, he tucked himself into his covers. He locked all the doors and windows, checking, then double checking them. He had his cell phone, a disposable emergency phone, and the house phone all within reaching distance. He felt crazy, but safe.  
Cars passed by his window, each time causing him to pause and panic. Saturday nights were somewhat busy for the cul-de-sac, the people coming and going at all hours. He could hear voices, laughter. Every now and then he'd hear Rolf's voice drift up, instructing Sarah on how to steady herself on the horse. Was he really giving riding lessons at ten something on a Saturday night? Who would do such a thing?  
"He used to take his pig out for walks, of course he'd be teaching Sarah the art of equestrianism on a Saturday night..."

A large amount of silence startled Edd. He shot up from his sheets, hands gripping around for the baseball bat. "Where is it?!" he groaned, leaning out of the bed. His neck cricked and cracked, his hands reaching, desperately looking for the bat. He felt a wave of comfort come over him as he gripped the end of the baseball bat and tugged it towards him. He looked up at the clock, realizing it was now 3 in the morning.  
"Morning, Dork."  
Edd felt himself freeze. That was... "Kevin." _No. No, react. React. MOVE!_ his head screamed at him. He grabbed the proper end of the bat and jumped out of the bed, swinging it somewhat wildly. Kevin's laughter filled the room, and he near effortlessly stopped the bat. The red head got a firm grip on it, pulling it from Edd's hands.  
"Chill the fuck out. I came to talk to you."  
"Kevin, I request that you immediately leave thi-this area. You are trespassing. I do not want you to be here." Edd moved towards one of the phones, reaching blindly behind him for it.  
"Settle the fuck down, Dork. I'm not here to do anything to you. Yet." A grin spread over Kevin's freckled face. He moved closer to Edd, the grin growing wider. The taller boy whined softly, worry beginning to take over. He was usually so nifty, but what did you do when someone was in your house and you really didn't want them to be? Not to mention the fact that he'd been disarmed, too.  
"Look, we're going to have a talk. You came out, right?"  
"I did not! What you heard was un-uncertainty," Edd mumbled the ending of the sentence. "I-I'm afraid that I am uncertain about my sexuality at this stage in my life. It's quite common to experiment and later decide some-something else."  
Kevin scoffed, finally close enough to grab Edd. He pulled the collar of his shirt, yanking him closer. "So, I have a fucking proposition to make to you. See, I can use big words, too."  
"Kevin! You reek of alcohol! Have-have you been drinking?!"  
"Your dad has a GREAT alcohol stash, you know that, right?" He laughed, pulling Edd down more with his shirt. "So I have an idea. See, I'm kind of fucking tired of you walking around here and being the big shit. You steal my girlfriend-"  
"I assure you, I did not steal Nazz. She began dating me of her own will! However, we've decided to terminate our relationship with the recent events-"  
"Shut the fuck up!" A swift punch to Edd's face caused him to holler in pain. His eyes began to water, and he set his jaw closed tightly at Kevin's order. "You stole my fucking girlfriend. You took the one person that I really fucking loved. Then, you walk around like you're the top shit. You're dating a cheerleader, some fuckin' dork, and you think that makes you cool?" A pause, but Edd didn't dare answer. "That's right, you're not, dork. So I'm going to tell you what to do: You're going to leave Nazz alone. You're not going to even be friends with her anymore. You're going to leave her the fuck alone, and when she asks why, you'll use that stupid brain of yours to convince her that it's because you hate her. I'm not going to have some fag-faggot going near her anymore. Plus, you're going to do all of my homework, because I'm failing, and I can't be kicked off of the foot-football team."

Kevin released Edd, shoving him back onto the bed. The black haired boy stared up at the red head. "Kevin, I'm not going to terminate my friendship with Nazz. That's quite unfair to her, and you'll only be hurting her." Edd pushed himself up from the bed, feeling pain in his neck again. He was going to regret this in the morning, wasn't he? "I fear that I will not agree to your terms. I refuse to stop being friends with someone I care deeply about because you're inebriated, Kevin."

"The fuck did you call me?"

"I said you were inebriated. It means that you're drunk. Now, I'm going to ask you one last time to remove yourself from my residence before I call the cops. I refuse to be bullied by you in my own home, Kevin! On top of that, I refuse to have you dictate what the relationship is between me and my friends! You are sadly mistaken if you think that I'll just sit back and take your crap!" Edd grabbed at the knife he had set aside. Brandishing it, he stepped closer to the other. "I insist that you leave immediately."

Kevin scowled at him. "What are you going to do? Hurt me? Come on, Dork, I'll bet you couldn't if your life depended on it." The other boy stood there, holding the knife towards him. The red head moved closer, only to pull away when Edd leaned forwards with the knife. "You'll wish you'd never done this. I promise I'll make your life hell. You don't fuck with me, Dweeb." With that, he turned and left the room.

Edd waited until the door slammed to even breathe. He dropped the knife on the floor, taking a seat on his bed. He pulled his knees up to his head, a soft groan escaping from him. It only kept getting worse for him. When was it going to end?

Actually, he knew the answer to that: It wasn't going to. It wasn't going to end until Edd put a stop to it. At this point, staring at the spot Kevin had been in moments before, he understood that. There was nothing he could do other than fight back. He grabbed his phone, dialing the first number that came to mind: Nazz. The invitation for extremely early breakfast and the story of what happened just moments before sent, Edd ran down to the kitchen. He began to prepare a feast, hoping that the cooking would calm his nerves.

"Hey, D," Nazz called from outside. His fingers twitched as he placed the knife he'd been using to cut an apple, staring at it for a moment. Could he have really harmed Kevin? No... Something in him told him he wouldn't have been able to. "Can you please like, hurry up? I'm starving and I think I'm still a little drunk."

Edd opened the door and pulled her in. "So from what I understand, we break up and you get drunk? Nazz, I wasn't aware that you felt so strongly towards me," he joked. A confused eyebrow raised on the poor, still tipsy girl. It took a moment, but the realization of that being a joke dawned on her.

"Oh. Yeah, no, man. We had a party and like, I sent you a text but you never answered. I figured you had wanted to be alone."  
"Why, yes, I had," he grumbled, grabbing plates. Nazz shook her head slightly, a pitying look taking over her face. "However, it seems my plans were ruined. Kevin showed up and told me that I'm to stop being even friends with you. Now, before you speak, no, I didn't agree to it. I refuse to allow a bully to come between me and my friends. I do worry that he's going to only grow angrier because I waved a knife at him. My only real worry is that he's going to attempt to... Well, make school even worse for me. He's much bigger than me," he plopped some eggs onto their plates, hands shaking. A deep breath, and he continued, "But I am much more intelligent. I think this time, brain can overcome brawn."

"Like, what I don't understand-"  
"Nazz, really? With your mouth full?"  
She swallowed the food, rolling her eyes at Edd. "What I don't get is why Kevin's so damn up in arms about you. He doesn't pick on Eddy or Ed anymore. Like, Eddy's been after me for as long as I can remember and he never really did much to him. He usually just called him twerp, pushed him over, or something. Why is he so like, hung up on you?"  
A silence hung in the air. They both ate in the quiet for a moment, before Nazz sighed and pushed her plate away. "It's four in the morning, I'm still sort of drunk, and you've got the biggest asshole on the planet placing a target on your back. To top it off, that huge asshole is someone that we were friends with for a bunch of years. We can't figure out what's making him so mad, you just sort of came out of the closet, and I've never tasted eggs as good as this. The real question of the night is: Why the hell didn't you cook for me more often? Jesus, D, you could've cued a girl in to how great your food is."

Edd chuckled, picking up both of the plates. "Thank you, Nazz. Will you stay with me? I'm sure my parents won't mind if they come home. Please send your mom a text if you'd like to stay over. I'd rather not have her thinking I've kidnapped you."

Nazz smiled, standing from her chair. She strolled over to Edd, placing her arms around his neck. Pecking his cheek, she moved away him from, grabbing his hand to pull him upstairs. A seductive wink, a blush from the boy, and the two smiled and grinned their way into his bedroom. It was past six in the morning before they fell asleep, discussing whatever they thought at the moment. For now, it was peaceful, and that was something Edd could appreciate.


	4. (Three!)

_hello! again, another warning for this chapter:_  
_this story contains physical abuse, emotional abuse, and bullying. slurs are also used._  
_please read carefully! i like you all far too much to want to trigger you! \o/_

_sorry for the delay with the chapter. someone asked me why i would use such a cliche idea (bully falling for the bullied, bullied falling for the bully) for a story, since some of my other ones are kind of creative. well, it's really simple: kevin's an asshole. why would edd wanna be with him? and i think that's the plot, not the cast figuring out why kevin is such a jerk. but that's my own two cents... take it as you wish!  
this is, uh, a really long chapter. my apologies. orz. please enjoy!  
_

* * *

"I'm quite fine, Sarah. I don't require your help." Edd pushed the ginger haired girl from his side, scooting away from her. With a pout, Sarah moved back to him, pressing a wet towel to his face again. Ed, Eddy, Jimmy, and Nazz all sat around the living room, watching the scene. The poor girl desperately just wanted to help the object of her childhood affections. Though she'd stopped attempting to make him her boyfriend, she still had those left over puppy love feelings sometimes.

This was definitely one of those times, and it was manifesting itself in her top notch anger. She was huffing, puffing, and pushing the towel around on Edd's face just a little bit too hard. He'd been attempting to stop her for almost the past half hour. Politeness was starting to take its toll on him when she hit him in the face for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Sarah, if you don't stop pummeling me with that towel, I am going to have to see myself out." Edd stared at her with angry eyes, a disapproving frown falling on his face. She turned red, moving away and muttering a soft 'Sorry' under her breath.

With a deep breath, Edd began to speak. It had taken all this time just to start the story and he didn't even want to tell it anymore. He was at his ending point with the day. It was an impossible situation with an impossible person. "He cornered me. He insisted that I give him some money. He was inebriated. I kicked him-"

"You fuckin' kicked him?" Eddy laughed, throwing his head back and slapping his hand onto his forehead. "Sockhead KICKED him?! No fuckin' way!"

"Eddy, please! Be quiet. I am in no mood for joking around. Today, I realized that..." Edd stopped, taking a deep breath. "I cannot do this alone. i understand that you've all been extremely supportive of me in this situation. I am extremely grateful for that. However, neither Nazz nor I have made any headway in figuring out why Kevin has so much animosity towards me. I've received no help from people in power. All I have left is my friends." He hung his head, staring at his feet. It wasn't often that he felt the need to ask for help or even admit to his real feelings. In almost any situation, he could figure out what was going on and how to solve it. As it turned out, though, people weren't as simple as science and math was to him.

"Maybe he's really mad about us destroying his stuff?" Ed offered. Sarah turned to stare at him, rolling her eyes and giving an audible sigh. Things may have changed with how they looked, but one thing that would never change was Sarah's annoyance with her brother's... well, existence.

"Why would he just be picking on Double D, then? He'd be screaming and beating up you two lugs, too!"

"Well maybe Shovel Chin finally realized that we're too much for him to handle," Eddy yelled. He flexed, eyeing Nazz up and down. She crossed her arms and stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head. She'd been awfully silent this whole time, giving a sort of unsettling feel to the situation. After all, she'd been such a good friend to Kevin. She'd been Kevin's one and only until...

"Maybe it's some, like, psychological shit..." Her voice trailed off. After a moment, Jimmy placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her back to reality. "Like, man, you know... I-I'm actually not sure. Like, we learned about this stuff in class the other day. Where you like, pick on someone or hate someone because they have negative traits that you associate with yourself? Instead of like, beating the crap outta yourself, you beat up someone else."

"What kind of negativity would Kevin have in common with Double D, though?" Jimmy finally piped up, turning to look at each of the group directly. Confusion was written over all their faces. Even secretly, they couldn't attribute anything to both of the boys. One was a nerdy, intelligent, anal retentive boy that valued science and studies over all else. The other was an athletic, loud, bully that strove for perfection only in sports. What could those two have in common?

"Do you think he could hate Edd because he's gay, too?" Jimmy seemed a bit startled at his own statement. The entire group stared directly at him. The pale boy flushed red, moving closer to Sarah in case things turned ugly by that single statement.

"I don't understand why you all think I'm a homosexual. I never even said such a thing!"

"Look, Sockhead. No-one cares if you wanna fuck dudes. Ow!" Eddy rubbed his shoulder where Ed had punched him.

"Sarah's in the room! Don't say stuff like that, Eddy!"

"Jesus, you freak, that hurt! Anyway, what if Jimmy's right? What if Kevin's hiding that he's gay?"

"That'd make no sense, Eddy. He sneaked into my house prior to me even saying anything to Nazz," Edd retorted, face burning. He stared at Eddy for a moment before standing. "I don't think this is a productive use of my time. I think that emotions are clouding our judgment. Regardless of what he's done to me, I'd feel responsible if you mentioned anything of that nature outside of this. There's no point in spreading rumors. I'll see you all next Monday in school. I've got plenty of homework to finish this weekend."

"All weekend?" Nazz asked. She looked crestfallen. Her weekends were usually spent at games on Fridays, then out on Saturdays, but lately she'd been spending the entire weekend with Edd. Despite the fact that they'd broken up, and her acceptance of the fact that he wasn't attracted to her, she made plenty of time for him. She couldn't imagine not having him around anymore, whether it was just friendly or not.

"Yes. My apologies, Nazz. Honestly, I just need some time to myself." Rising, Edd made a move to leave. Nazz stopped him, grabbing his wrist. She looked at him with a pitiful face, only to release him before anyone else said anything. He left the group as silent as when he'd walked in with a bruised face.

* * *

"Hematoma. Of the tissue. Capillaries are damaged. How am I to stretch my face when these begin to heal? I wish they wouldn't be, of all places, on my face. Visage." Edd stared at the mirror in front of him. He touched the bruises, particularly the ugly one under his left eye, making faces as he did so. It hurt, but he'd been hit in the head with a bat somewhat recently, so this really wasn't high on his pain scale.

"Gate control theory," he mumbled idly. He had been standing there for god knows how long now. Repeated facts about bruises, ways to heal them, he'd been stumbling over his words ever since he'd left Ed's. Jimmy's words hadn't left him. It was weird to even think about, but this whole situation of Kevin being so angry with Edd was weird.

"Perhaps he's infatuated with me. He's taken on the childish hit the one you like attitude to a new level." Edd chuckled to himself, leaving the bathroom. Really, he was just being ridiculous, but something tugged in his stomach. What if Kevin hadn't been such an ass and liked him? He was extremely attractive... Thin from years of baseball, but with more muscle developing because of his reunited love of football. He was tanned, freckly, ginger... He was a bit dull, but it was cute.

Truth be told, Edd had always found Kevin pretty attractive. He'd never really thought anything of it, though. He had always pushed the thoughts on the attractiveness of males away from his mind. He never really concerned himself with romance and dating, until Nazz came along, but still... He knew he found Kevin attractive, even now. No matter what someone does with their personality, it doesn't change the attractiveness of a person. It only changes the guilt you feel for being attracted to them.

"What in the name of Tesla is wrong with me?" Edd pulled clothes out his drawer, getting dressed quickly. "I can't find him attractive. He's a bully! For Tesla's sake, he punched me in the face repeatedly today!" Touching his bruised face again, he shook his head. What was going on? He was not only thinking that Kevin could somehow be attracted to him, but that he was attractive himself! He flushed red, turning away from the mirror on the dresser and into his bed. "I do think it's time to get some well deserved sleep..."

"Sleep? Of course it's not time to sleep, Dork."

Edd sighed, placing a palm to his forehead. "Of course it's not time for sleep, Kevin. What sort of story would my life be if there wasn't a climax for this entire chapter of a night? I assure you, though, that it's time for me to sleep. I'll be honest and tell you that I'm exhausted from your abuse earlier today and in no mood to play your games!" He turned around on his heel, glaring at the red head standing in front of him. Kevin grinned innocently, hands shoved into his pockets.

"What, no playtime? It's not even a school night, Double Dork."

"I'll have to ask you to refrain from calling me that. I've taken to that nickname and don't want it associated with a bully like you."

"Aww, poor Edd. What, you don't like our little, what'd you call it? Game?" Kevin slunk closer, grin still plastered to his face. Edd's heart began to beat heavily, staring at the boy. He was readying himself for the worst. The familiar smell of cheap liquor and cologne invaded his senses. Adrenaline rushed to him as he stumbled onto his bed and fell flat against it.

Kevin stood over him, removing his hands from his pockets. Edd flinched, looking away and shutting his eyes tightly. "This, this is getting ridiculous, Kevin! I'm extremely tired of your abusive behavior, especially in my own home!"

"Quit your whining, Dork. I came to give you your key back."

Edd opened his eyes and turned to stare at the red head. That stupid grin was still plastered on his face and he wished he could just smash it off. "M-my key?" He paused, speechless for once. After a moment of silence, he regained his composure and stood. "Kevin, I don't know what sort of game you're playing but it's trite now. You're going to wave the key in my face and then tell me there's some sort of... some sort of stipulation associated with it. Which is ridiculous, mind you! You should know by now that I'm not going to fall prey to your stupid games. I haven't allowed you to bully me without me fighting back and I am quite sick of-"

Kevin put his hands up, palms open. The key fell to the ground, bouncing gently off of his shoe. His smile faded and he stared at Edd. "Fine. You got me. I'm tired of playing this house game. The stakes are way too high here. See, Dork, I can't fuckin' do much without the threat of the cops. But know where I can?" He stepped forward, forcing Edd to sit back on the bed. He leaned in, placing his hands on the bed, Edd firmly trapped in the middle of his arms and far too close for his comfort. Kevin smiled directly into his face, eyes locking with the black haired boys. "I can just fuck with you at school. It's all better there. Everything I do can just get pushed under the table. No-one is going to stop me there. Because I'm not done, you little shit. You've gone and fucked up my life. You took away the one person close to me, the one person I fucking still had. You spent most of my childhood as my friend and then you pull this shit. So I'm going to spend the rest of highschool making sure you feel as fucking horrible as I did the day I watched you and her fucking tralala off."

Edd felt a primal need push up into his throat. He needed to punch Kevin. He needed to destroy Kevin. He needed to take Kevin down. He stood up, forcing the ginger to push back and away from him. He was going to attack him, and attack him where it hurt. "Kevin, this is insanity! I haven't taken Nazz from you! You, you asshole," Edd screamed. His temper was long gone when it came to Kevin. It was just... gone. Gone with his eloquence, his command of the English language, gone with his sanity, and most of all, gone with his desire to keep Nazz and all their friends away from these fights. "Nazz left of her own volition! She walked out after you started beating me up and harassing me! You want to talk about being childhood friends, Kevin? Where did that go when you started to talk down to me? Where did that go when you started kicking me in my chair, shoving me into lockers? Where was any of that when you were bullying me? Well, Kevin?"

Kevin stood silent, staring at him. With a deep breath, Edd sneered at him. "You made yourself this miserable, Kevin. We don't know why. We don't know what happened to you. You may have always been a bully, but it was never just me. It was never like this. And at this point, I'm going to tell you one thing: We're going to find out why. If it takes every ounce of my power, I'm going to figure out why you've become so horrible to me. Not Eddy, not Ed, not even any of the other boys Nazz has dated. Me. I'm your target and we're going to find out why." He shoved a long, slender finger into Kevin's chest, rising onto his tip toes and towering over the other. It was a stupid thing to do, but he knew it would assert his dominance in the animal kingdom, so why not right now, too? "I'm beginning to think that you feel affections towards me, Kevin, and you detest that about yourself. Other people think it, too. Jimmy mentioned it today, Kevin. They see it as weird that you're picking on just me," he growled, his tone far too eldritch for his comfort.

Edd backed up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Get out of my house. Don't you dare come back. I'm promising you that we'll find out what's wrong with you, whether you want us to or not, Kevin. So get ready. Because I'm not going to take this anymore. "

Kevin, in silence, turned and left the room. When the front door finally slammed shut, Edd took a deep breath. He felt as though a weight had been lifted. Sure, he'd been somewhat aggressive before, but never like this. He'd never made a threat like that. He had given Kevin the key to Eddy's house once. He'd turned on Eddy several times for moral reasons. He'd even run away from the entirety of Peach Creek for fear of attack... But this... It was never like this. He moved back to his bed, taking a seat. Suddenly, he felt himself begin to choke out sobs. What had he done? He'd threatened Kevin, knowing full well that he was just lashing out for some hidden reason. He knew that there was more than just Nazz to this story. He knew that there were underlying causes to his attacks. This wasn't Kevin, this wasn't like Kevin at all and everyone knew it. He'd stooped to the level Kevin had set and he'd stooped so well.

This wasn't him. This wasn't like him at all. He was changing from this, he couldn't stop it, and he hated it.

He really fucking hated it.


End file.
